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Archived - Union Membership in Canada—2008

Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate
Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Each year, Workplace Information Division conducts an update of international, national, independent unions, and other labour organizations consisting of a bargaining unit with 50 or more members in Canada.

The unions and labour organizations’ contact information, affiliation, membership size, and number of union locals, are made available in a searchable database, the Directory of Labour Organizations in Canada. The data on membership size and union affiliations is also tabulated to provide a portrait of labour organizations in Canada, as presented below.

2008 Results

The information obtained indicates that at the beginning of 2008, 4,592,247 workers were union members. Consequently, the unionization rate or union density (union membership as a percentage of non-agricultural paid employment) is 30.4% for 2008. In comparison, Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey`s unionization rate of paid employees is estimated at 29.3% for the first 6 months of 2008.

The Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada, is a sample survey based on self-reports that can be analysed by sex, age, and other characteristics. For more information see: Perspectives on Labour and Income - Unionization

The results of the survey show that national unions represent 67.1% of membership; whereas international unions (those headquartered outside of Canada) represent 27.7%. For their part, independent local organizations represent 3.8% of total union membership.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has the largest membership affiliation at 70.7%. This represents a slight decline from last year’s share of 70.8%, but it is important to note that its total membership affiliation increased from previous year by 2.4%. This represents a total of 78,740 additional members. Furthermore the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) represents 6.6%, Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) 2.3%, Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD) 1.5%, and the Confederation of Canadian Unions 0.2% share of the total membership affiliation.

Ten unions represent 4.7% of the overall number of national and international unions, have a membership range over 100,000, and represent 51.4% of the union membership. On the other hand, 153 unions, representing 71.8% of national and international unions have less than 10,000 members and represent 8.1% of the union membership.

Table 1: Union Membership in Canada, 1998–2008

Year	Union Membership	Civilian Labour Force*	Non-Agricultural Paid Workers*	Union Membership as a Percentage of Civilian Labour Force	Union Membership as a Percentage of Non-Agricultural Paid Workers
	(000s)	(000s)	(000s)	%	%
1998	3,938	15,079	11,964	26.1	32.9
1999	4,010	15,316	12,212	26.2	32.8
2000	4,058	15,588	12,603	26.0	32.2
2001	4,111	15,847	13,027	25.9	31.6
2002	4,174	16,110	13,304	25.9	31.4
2003	4,178	16,579	13,650	25.2	30.6
2004	4,261	16,959	13,965	25.1	30.5
2005	4,381	17,182	14,265	25.5	30.7
2006	4,441	17,343	14,464	25.6	30.7
2007	4,480	17,593	14,782	25.5	30.3
2008	4,592	17,945	15,111	25.6	30.4
*   Statistics Canada, The Labour Force Survey, Labour Statistics Division. Note: Civilian labour force and non-agricultural paid employment data shown for each year are annual averages of the preceding year; data shown for union membership are as of January of the years shown and as reported by labour organizations.

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 2: Unions with Largest Membership

Name and Affiliation	Number of Members
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CLC)	570,000
National Union of Public and General Employees (CLC)	340,000
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (AFL-CIO / CLC)	280,000
National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW Canada) (CLC)	255,000
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (CtW / CLC)	245,327
Public Service Alliance Canada (CLC)	173,686
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CLC)	142,592
Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (CSN)	122,193
Teamsters Canada (CtW / CLC)	108,516
Service Employees International Union (CtW / CLC)	92,781
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario  (CLC)	73,296
FTQ Construction (CLC)	69,914
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (Ind.)	69,000
Laborers' International Union of North America (CtW)	68,650
Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (Syndicats à charte directe) (CSD)	61,742
Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement (CSQ)	60,000
Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (Ind.)	57,191
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (AFL-CIO / CLC)	57,130
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CLC)	56,456
Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (CLC)	55,260
Ontario Nurses' Association (CLC)	54,000
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (Ind.)	53,122
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (CtW / CLC)	50,000
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (AFL-CIO/ CLC)	48,325
Fédération des employés de services publics inc. (CSN)	48,000
UNITE HERE Canada (CtW / CLC)	46,000
British Columbia Teachers' Federation (CLC)	44,748
Christian Labour Association Canada (Ind.)	43,239
Syndicat de la fonction publique du Québec (Ind.)	42,500
International Union of Operating Engineers (AFL-CIO/ CLC)	41,993
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (AFL-CIO/ CLC)	40,567
Alberta Teachers' Association (Ind.)	37,031
Fédération du commerce inc. (CSN)	36,274
Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (CLC)	36,000
Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (CLC)	34,000
Affiliations Legend: AFL-CIO  -   American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations CCU          -   Confédération of Canadian Unions CLC          -   Canadian Labour Congress CSD          -   Centrale des syndicats démocratiques CSN          -   Confédération des syndicats nationaux CSQ          -   Centrale des syndicats du Québec CtW          -   Change to Win Ind.            -   Independent Local Organization NUPGE    -   National Union of Public and General Employees

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 3 Union Membership by Congress Affiliation—2008

Congress Affiliation	Membership	%
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	3,248,490	70.7
CLC only	2,083,012	45.4
AFL-CIO/CLC	622,794	13.6
CtW / CLC	542,624	11.8
Directly Chartered Unions	60	0.0
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)	303,271	6.6
CSN only	297,390	6.5
Directly Chartered Unions	5,881	0.1
Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)	107,084	2.3
Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD)	67,500	1.5
CSD only	5,758	0.1
Directly Chartered Unions	61,742	1.3
Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU)	7,439	0.2
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) only	36,040	0.8
Change to Win (CtW) only	68,650	1.5
Unaffiliated National Unions	579,240	12.6
Unaffiliated International Unions	1,930	0.0
Independent Local Organizations	172,603	3.8
TOTAL	4,592,247	100.0

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 4 Composition of Unions—2008

Type of Union	Unions		Membership
		Number	%	Number	%
National	175	36.7	3,079,923	67.1
International	38	8.2	1,272,038	27.7
Independent Local Organizations	257	54.2	172,603	3.8
Directly Chartered Unions	4	0.8	67,683	1.5
TOTAL	474	100.0	4,592,247	100.0
Note: Due to rounding, total percentage does not equal 100%.

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 5 National and International Unions by Size—2008

Membership Range	National Unions		International Unions		Total
		Unions	Membership	Unions	Membership	Unions	Membership
under 999	64	24,402	5	2,028	69	26,430
1,000–9,999	70	269,086	14	55,264	84	324,350
10,000–29,999	17	312,933	8	135,457	25	448,390
30,000–49,999	8	321,792	4	176,885	12	498,677
50,000–99,999	9	548,239	4	268,561	13	816,800
100,000 and over	7	1,603,471	3	633,843	10	2,237,314
TOTAL	175	3,079,923	38	1,272,038	213	4,351,961
Note: Independent and Directly chartered unions are not included.

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 6 Union Membership by Type of Union and Affiliation—2008

Type of Union and Affiliation	Unions	Locals	Membership
						Number	%
National Unions	174	10,795	3,079,923	67.1
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	42	7,151	2,083,012	45.4
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)	10	1,831	297,390	6.5
Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)	13	311	107,084	2.3
Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU)	6	27	7,439	0.2
Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD)	1	63	5,758	0.1
Unaffiliated Unions	102	1,412	579,240	12.6
International Unions	39	3,896	1,272,038	27.7
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) / Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	27	3,434	622,794	13.6
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) only	4	72	36,040	0.8
Change to Win (CtW) / Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	5	354	542,624	11.8
Change to Win (CtW) only	1	29	68,650	1.5
Unaffiliated Unions	2	7	1,930	0.0
Independent Local Organizations	257	2	172,603	3.8
Directly Chartered Unions	4	287	67,683	1.5
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	2	0	60	0.0
Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD)	1	287	61,742	1.3
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)	1	0	5,881	0.1
TOTAL	474	14,978	4,592,247	100.0
Note: Due to rounding, total percentage does not equal 100%.

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Table 7 Canadian Labour Congress Membership by Affiliation—2008

Type of Union and Affiliation	Membership	%
National Unions	2,083,012	64.1
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) only	2,083,012	64.1
International Unions	1,165,418	35.9
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) / Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	622,794	19.2
Change to Win (CtW) / Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)	542,624	16.7
Directly Chartered Unions	60	0.0
TOTAL	3,248,490	100.0

Source:  Strategic Policy, Analysis, and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Legislative and Regulatory Changes Affecting Unions and Union Membership

Saskatchewan: Bill 6, Trade Union Amendment Act, 2008, came into force on May 14, 2008 and made significant amendments to the Trade Union Act (TUA). Any application for certification or decertification of a union must now be determined by a mandatory secret ballot vote. Furthermore, the level of employee support necessary for an application for certification or decertification, previously unspecified in the TUA (except in the case of an application to displace a certified union, which was set at 25%), is now fixed at 45%. Finally, the timeframe within which evidence of employee support must be obtained has been reduced to 90 days and employers have been given more leeway to communicate facts and opinions to their employees during union drives.

Nova Scotia: Bill 49, An Act to Amend Chapter 71 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Civil Service Collective Bargaining Act, came into force on February 1, 2008. This bill allows some seasonal and casual workers, as well as students working for the provincial government to be considered civil servants and to enjoy the same collective bargaining rights as full-time employees. Casual workers and students are now entitled to collective bargaining rights if they are employed continuously for more than 10 weeks, or employed in the same governmental department, agency, commission, board or corporation for more than a total of 10 weeks in a 12‑month period. The same rule applies to a seasonal worker who is employed for more than 10 weeks in a 12‑month period.

A recent Supreme Court of Canada decision (Health Services and Support – Facilities Subsector Bargaining Association v. British Columbia, June 2007)confirmed that freedom of association protects “the right of employees to associate for the purpose of advancing workplace goals through a process of collective bargaining.” This case is considered a landmark decision, as the Supreme Court of Canada had previously ruled that the Charter did not protect collective bargaining. In subsequent decisions, the Cour supérieure du Québec in October 2008 (Confédération des syndicats nationaux c. Québec (Procureur général), 2008 QCCS 5076), and the Ontario Court of Appeal in November 2008 (Fraser v. Ontario (Attorney General), 2008 ONCA 760) ruled that laws prohibiting the unionization of home day care providers and family home care providers in Quebec, and of agricultural workers in Ontario, were unconstitutional.

Affiliation and Structure Changes to National and International Unions

Through a merger, First Air Pilots Association brought their 140 members to the Air Line Pilots Association International.

New Unions

• Association des Juristes de l’État (January 2008)
• University of Guelph Faculty Association (March 2008)
• Syndicats des chauffeurs de nolisés de la compagnie Autobus La Québecoise (August 2008)
• Employees’ Association of Railtran Services Inc. and Alloy (October 2008)

The Directory of Labour Organizations in Canada, a searchable database, provides information such as the affiliation, membership, telephone and fax numbers as well as e-mail and Web site addresses of the various organizations. Visit the Directory of Labour Organizations in Canada for more information on various unions.

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Date Modified:

2011-11-16